Mapuche Political Prisoners, in so-called southern Chile, prosecuted in relation to Luchsinger Mackay case in the prison of Temuco communicate the following:

On Monday, May 29th, 2017, we have begun a hunger strike as a last recourse of resistance within political prison to demand and pressure authorities for due process in our cases.

As is publicly known, there has been a lack of evidence throughout this overwhelming process, which has been falling apart slowly in the courts.

Yet the Office of the Prosecution (FIAC) and their representative, Attorney Alberto Chifelle, have made enormous efforts to stretch all legal recourses necessary to push our cases to the Constitutional Tribunal, with the objective to continue our pre-trial detention. We state our innocence of the charges that have been laid on us. They wish to keep us behind bars, since we maintain our conviction of struggle for our Mapuche nation, which has led us to initiate a hunger strike as a radical measure of resistance and protest to enforce our demands as Mapuche Political Prisoners

We risk our lives in order to guarantee our freedom, demanding due process as a reasonable claim after a year of incarceration without the withdrawal of any charges.

The pre-trial detention of our Machi [Medicine Healer] Francisca Linconao, as well as those previously and currently charged in [the Luchsinger Mackay] case, follow the same political tactics of delegitimization of our struggle against the powerful capitalist interests in our Wallmapu. In addition, we are demanding an end to the application of the Anti-Terrorist Law, and our immediate freedom under Article 140 [of the Constitution].

We call on our Mapuche Nation, communities in resistance and in defense of Wallmapu, Chileans in social movements, fishermen, students, and other conscious of our dignified and just struggle oppressed by capitalist interests to support our mobilizations and break the mainstream bourgeois media silence. We also call on people to mobilize this June 12 on the streets of Temuco.

Our Demands are as follows:

A free and fair trial

Freedom under Article 140 [of the Constitution

Stop the application of the Anti-Terrorist Law

Temuco Mapuche Political Prisoners processed under the Luchsinger-Mackay case